Gruier Serenity/History
Background Like the rest of the royal family, Gruier was born from the artificial womb aboard the Golden Ghost Ship some 13 years before the events of the series. At some point in the past, she met Gonzaemon Kato, the then-captain of the Bentenmaru. He entrusted her with his ID ring which allows the user full access to the Bentenmaru's systems. During the period of unrest on Serenity, Gruier found herself on the reformist side, which brought her into conflict with her younger sister, Grunhilde. The grand duke entrusted her with finding the ghost ship and destroying the bio-plant aboard, which they believed would assist them. To do so, Gruier sought out the help of the Bentenmaru, using the ring Gonzaemon had given her. Plot Golden Ghost Ship Arc During the Bentenmaru's raid on the Symphony Angel, Gruier used the ID ring to override the Bentenmaru's security systems and sneak aboard while it was docked with the cruise liner. She then holed herself up in the docking control. When the crew discovered they had a stowaway and contacted her, she demanded to speak to the captain Sailing 07. When Marika first contacted her, Gruier didn't believe she was the captain, saying that the captain was a man and asking for Captain Kato. On hearing that Gonzaemon had passed away, Gruier was upset and thought it was a lie. After being sent the proof via monitor, she apologised for accusing them of lying and introduced herself. When Marika ressumed their conversation, both said the other could call them by their given name. At Marika request, she removed the cloth she had put over the camera, so they could see each other. She then apologised for boarding without permission and asked for permission, which was promptly granted. Marika then told her that she'd send a crewmember to guide her round the ship. After being introduced to the bridge crew, Gruier told them her request - to help her find the Golden Ghost Ship. She was shocked when she learned of a report that said she had gone missing and that foul play was likely involved, as she was on the ship of her own free will. She was relieved when Marika accepted her request. Shortly afterwards, she transferred into Hakuoh Academy. As she didn't think that she had brought enough information, she sent a request to the royal palace for the data via a secret method. Several days later, the Bentenmaru received an urgent job from the escort fleet's HQ to meet an unknown ship entering the Tau Ceti system. Gruier wished to come and despite Kane's efforts to shake her off, managed to sneak into Misa's car as they were leaving. She and Marika were left a little dazed by Misa's driving. Once aboard the ship, Gruier explained the situation to the crew whilst Marika was changing into her captain's outfit. After explaining to Marika and apologising for being ill-prepared, she mentioned how the captain's uniform was very nice and that she'd like to wear it. She smiled while conversing with the crew, however Misa noticed she looked worried as the crew resumed their stations. As the ship neared its destination and went to battle stations, Misa asked her if she was worried about the ship. Gruier replied that she believed in Serenity and Misa told her to believe in Marika as well. When a damaged Corback touched down, engaged in combat, Gruier wondered what it was fighting against and moments later was surprised to learn that it was against several other Serenity ships Sailing 08. In order to avoid a firefight, Marika asked Gruier to act as the captain in her place and address the Serenity ships, mentioned how she wanted to wear the captain's uniform, to which Gruier agreed. Once contact was established, Gruier ordered the pursuing ships to stand down, stating that failure to comply would be treated as treason. After the Bentenmaru received two messages, on hearing the message from Grand Chamberlain Yotof, Gruier asked if they could open a channel so she could speak to him, however Misa advised against it due to the circumstances. Gruier went with the crew's decision as she wasn't particularly accomplished at foreign relations. While the crew continued with their work, Marika apologised for not being very captain-like and rather casual, before asking if she knew what she meant, to which Gruier replied that she did - the previous captain taught her. Gruier stated that it was an honour to have known two generations of pirate captains, and asked her to continue that way. Once the ships had docked, Gruier went to the airlock to meet with Yotof. As two people from the other ship made their way towards the Bentenmaru, Gruier identified them to Marika as Yotof and Catherine, before wondering if they had stolen the ship. After the door was opened, Yotof and Catherine kneeled before Gruier who was pleased to see them. Yotof told her that 'nothing had happened at the palace', which Gruier understood and thanked them before asking for their delivery. Afterwards, Gruier took out the special royal container and opened it. She gave the data chip inside, containing the royal family's data on the Golden Ghost Ship, to Marika. Gruier later came into the yacht club's room and introduced herself with a curtsey to Chiaki, who did the same. When the rest of the yacht club came in, she reintroduced herself to Jenny, remembering their previous meeting and mentioning how her family's company had been good to her nation. When asked what brought her there, she said that she had learnt that one of the yacht club members was a master of faking attendance. When Marika asked where she learnt that, she replied that she learnt it at Lamp House. Marika and Chiaki both quickly realised it was Mami who told her. When Jenny asked her why she wanted to fake her attendance, Gruier mentioned that in the near future she would need to leave school for a short or extended period and during that period, she wanted people to believe she was still at Hakuoh Academy. Understanding the situation, Jenny decided to arrange a practice cruise over the post-exam period and made Gruier a yacht club member, giving her a cover. Gruier thanked her and also thanked her for calling her "Gruier". After greeting several of the yacht club's members, they picked her up and carried her to the simulators. Gruier was present when the Bentenmaru crew gathered at Oyaji-san's place to discuss the data on the Golden Ghost Ship. After the discussion, Marika told Gruier that even if they set out, they might not find the ghost ship and asked if that was all right. Gruier replied that she believed in Marika and the Golden Ghost Ship. When the time came, she departed with the Bentenmaru to begin the search Sailing 09. Some time into the journey, Gruier was present on the bridge as the ship moved through unstable space and the crew launched recon probes out into the storm. Worried after Coorie mentioned that they wouldn't be recovering the probes, she said to the crew that the royal family would compensate for their expenses. Shortly afterwards, she and Marika were dismissed from the bridge, having reached the eight hour work limit set for Hakuoh students. The two had dinner in the cafeteria, where Gruier mentioned how she was bothered about how everyone was busy searching for the ghost ship while she was just sitting and relaxing instead of doing something. After Marika compared it to how the adults were protecting her when she was supposed to be the captain and then apologised for comparing herself to her, Gruier replied that she was happy for someone to say they were like her. That night, Gruier lied awake and worried in bed. The next day, Gruier came onto the bridge as Marika and Coorie were talking about an observational network left over by previous search terms from Serenity. She asked about the royal authorisation code required to access them and was surprised to learn that Coorie had cracked it. She replied when Coorie asked about her age, then realised something afterwards as Coorie mentioned how her name and genetic pattern worked when entered into the network even though the last search team was before she was born, speculating that the royal family was probably special. When asked whether she was born that way, she said she believed so and that it was why the royal family was able to maintain Serenity's independence. Gruier was worried to learn that there were signs that there were several battleship-class ships in the area. She was even more worried when radar signals were detected and a confrontation between the Bentenmaru and the enemy ships drew closer. When the ships were close enough to be identified, Gruier was alarmed to learn that they were Serenity vessels. After the Bentenmaru escaped after exchanging fire with a pair of Corbacks, a distressed Gruier asked if it was too late to contact the Serenity ships, believing that there was a misunderstanding. However Marika calmed her down, explained how it wouldn't be a good course of action and why they should keep it reserved. Hearing her words, Gruier understood and thanked her, saying she was glad she came to this ship Sailing 10. Later on the bridge, Gruier was worried about the ships deployed by Serenity (including the flagship Queen Serendipity) and Marika thinking aloud about how winning would be difficult. At Marika's request, Misa took an uneasy Gruier to show her how to put on a spacesuit. While changing into a spacesuit, Gruier heard Marika's announcement that the Bentenmaru was about to perform an FTL jump and was concerned when she mentioned that they might be involved in a firefight with a battleship on touchdown. She asked Misa whether she should return to the bridge, but Misa told her that there wouldn't be anything she could do even if she went back now that Marika had decided on her course and reminded her that her first job was to learn how to wear a spacesuit. After the space-time quake was over, Gruier returned to the bridge and got her first view of the Golden Ghost Ship. Once the communication systems were restored, the crew found they had a message from the Queen Serendipity. Gruier was uneasy when she learned it was from her sister, Grunhilde, but answered it from the captain's seat. Ignoring her sister's request for her to leave at once, she asked about the military uniform she was wearing and stated that her sister was being manipulated. When Grunhilde said she didn't want to hear something like that from someone who had lowered themselves to the level of a pirate, she angrily told Grunhilde that she would not allow her to insult the ship or its crew. After looking to Marika for reassurance, Gruier told Grunhilde that if she wanted to stop her to meet her inside the ghost ship. The ghost ship then suddenly performed a high-energy radar scan, and Gruier watched as the ship lit up. When the Bentenmaru received a communication from the ghost ship, named the Queen Serendipity, Gruier told the crew that it was a traditional name for Serenity ships before submitting the identification code. After the Bentenmaru successfully docked with the ghost ship ahead of the Serenity ships, Gruier thanked Marika before declaring that she had something to do inside the ghost ship and asking the crew if they could wait somewhere. As a space-time quake indicated that the ghost ship was returning to subspace, Marika told Gruier that she would be coming with her as it was the captain's responsibility to protect crew and passengers, and that she couldn't let Gruier go out alone Sailing 11. Later, as the crew were preparing to venture in the ghost ship, Gruier was having trouble getting used to the zero-gravity conditions. She nearly slipped and drifted out, but Marika pulled her back in and gave some advice to help her. When Marika offered her hand to her, Gruier told her not to do so as she'd end up relying on her. Marika told her that she should rely on others to help her with what she couldn't do alone, and that no one would help someone who doesn't try to help themselves. Gruier took Marika's hand and the two ventured out of the ship. Arriving at the entrance leading into the ghost ship, Gruier was briefly surprised to see Schnitzer standing outside without a spacesuit. Once the door was opened and she'd learned how to use the thrusters, Gruier and the others ventured into the ghost ship. When they heard from Coorie that another ship had docked, Gruier urged the others to hurry. When they reached an area where they could remove their helmets, Marika asked Gruier about their destination. Gruier asked if they weren't heading for the bridge or the engines, but learned that the others intended for the Serenity group to deal with that, which Gruier thought was a little irresponsible but she agreed with Marika that they should head for the treasure. As they entered the colony section, Gruier asked Marika if there was anything in the universe truly irreplaceable, what she thought it would be, with Marika suggesting things like art or culture. When the group reaching a door with a mechanical display, after listening to Hyakume's explanation, she entered in her name before confirming that there was a low-gravity, temperature controlled environment, suited for preservation, beyond the door. As Marika thought about their first glimpse at the treasure, Gruier told Marika what she was probably expecting wasn't to be found aboard the ship before opening the door. As they went through the emptied treasure vaults, Gruier explained that most of the contents had been taken out to be sold during times of economic crisis. At the end of the passage, Gruier operated another mechanical display and opened the door to the sleeper area Sailing 12. Shortly after the Bentenmaru left for the Sea of the Morning Star, Gruier sent Marika a message asking for their help once again, though this was actually a ruse to get them to come back for an award ceremony, with Gruier presenting Marika with a medal for her help in the search for the ghost ship Sailing 13. Hakuoh Pirates Arc While Marika was contacting Show in the clubroom, Gruier was in the simulator control room assisting with an exercise for the first-years and listened silently as her friends speculated about what Marika was doing. Having found out that the Bentenmaru crew was in quarantine, Gruier went, in disguise, to meet with Marika as she was heading to the relay station to look for a substitute crew Sailing 14. <''Work in progress>'' ''Transition Episode : Sailing 19'' '''' A few days after the yacht club returned from the Bentenmaru, Gruier was talking to Grunhilde during lunch about the fun they had and mentioned that she had asked Marika to call them if another chance arises some time. When Grunhilde said about how Gruier was such good friends with Marika but she thought that the two shouldn't get too close due to being princess and pirate, Gruier asked her if this was a problem to big for the royal family to handle. She then added that it likely wasn't a coincidence that she received the Bentenmaru's ID ring from Gonzaemon, saying that they were bonded by fate and destined to meet one another. Gruier joined the rest of the yacht club to performing cleaning on the Odette II. As they were on the road to the airport, Gruier helped Marika to a large of snacks. When the yacht club finished cleaning for the day and Marika decided to stay behind to clean the Bentenmaru, Gruier asked if she needed her to help. When Marika thanked her, saying that she'd ask when she collapsed, Gruier said she'd be waiting for her to collapse sooner. On the second day of cleaning, Gruier was performing work on a terminal and asked a tired Marika to pass her a component. After Marika tripped over a toolbox (unknowingly losing her ID ring in the process), Gruier asked if she was alright, commenting that she seemed worn out. She was also present when several members were discussing what to do with the engine room's safety relay, mentioning how it looked very old. After Grunhilde discovered and identified Marika's ID ring, Gruier accompanied the rest of the yacht club to the Bentenmaru and undid the master lock. Gruier then reminded Marika that the ring symbolised the bond between them (including Grunhilde as well). At the relay station, she and Grunhilde were present as the two crews sorted out the stuff from the Bentenmaru in the yacht club's storeroom. On the shuttle back to the Sea of the Morning Star, Gruier noticed that Marika wasn't onboard and learned she had stayed behind. She hoped aloud to help Marika out again some time, to which Grunhilde told her not to do it alone.Sailing 19 Nebula Cup Arc Gruier was present when the yacht club met to consider competing in the Nebula Cup. She also participated in the windsurfing race to decide who would be representing them in the tournament, but soon fell off and was helped ashore by Maki. When Grunhilde came second, Gruier praised her, despite (or perhaps because) her use of a tow-rope hooked to Natalia's board.Sailing 20 At the opening ceremony for the Nebula Cup, Gruier, in her princess attire, fired the starting pistol to begin the race.Sailing 21 Pirate Hunter Arc Gruier learned about the pirate hunters from Catherine and on hearing it, worried about Marika. While Marika was preparing both a farewell cruise for the graduates and her next job (in light of the pirate hunting incidents), Gruier and several others were taking part in dinghy simulations Sailing 22. Gruier came into the club room when Chiaki was talking to Marika. While serving them tea, Gruier mentioned that the gravity controlling ship may have come from a higher-level area than any nearby governments. She then promised to look into the Grand Cross and the Parabellum. While eating parfaits at Lamp House, Gruier told Marika and Chiaki that there were at least four companies working on classified projects for the Galactic Empire, involving the construction of battleships with gravity control technology. Later, at Marika's house, Gruier was present (wearing a maid outfit lent to her by Mami) as Chiaki explained about the legendary chef, toasting with Marika at every mention of the chef, to Chiaki's confusion and slight irritation Sailing 23. Gruier was present on the Odette II, in a captain's uniform of her own, when the ship arrived at the site of the battle between the pirates and the Grand Cross, only to find that the battle was over. She and the other yacht members then boarded the Parabellum to return to the Sea of the Morning Star while the graduates took over flying the ship. Onboard, Gruier greeted Ironbeard, who complimented her uniform, and thanked him for accepting her request. She then asked him if he met Marika, calling him 'Captain Gonzaemon' to which he replied that he was the space pirate Ironbeard Sailing 26. Three Ships Arc (Novel-Only) Skull Star Arc (Novel-Only) When the Bentenmaru was hired by the Galactic Empire's intelligence division to have a small group of people infiltrate the frontier pirate fortress Skull Star, Gruier stowed away onboard the Silent Whisper and ended up accompanying the infiltration group to the Skull Star Miniskirt Pirates Volume 7. References Category:Work in progress Category:Articles requiring plot summaries Category:Character Histories